Preventing Bumblebee Deaths

If you care about our natural world that is under assault by climate change and the proliferation of chemicals used in agriculture then you should read this post!

Several times after a nice, soaking rain in warmer weather I have found dead bumblebees at the bottom of my rain gauge.  I figured they were after the water.  Apparently I was wrong because I have been much better lately about keeping the water dumped out.  Last week I went out in the garden I heard a buzzing sound.  When I looked at the rain gauge there was a live bumblebee inside along with 7 DEAD ONES!  This was despite the fact that it was dry in the gauge.   I was devastated by this.

The solution was to glue some mesh (I chose mesh from an onion bag but a piece of window screen would work as well)  to the top of the gauge so they cannot get in.  I can still pour out the rain water as I did this morning.  Until the manufacturers start attaching some sort of screen then out native bumblebees, that are so important for pollination, continue to be in danger from this other threat.

If anybody knows why bumblebees do this please respond or write to me.

Seed Planting

More on seed planting depth and timing!

The basic rule for seed depth is 3 times the diameter of the seed.  Now if you have ever planted any of the brassica family you know that the seeds are tiny. Carrot seeds are a bit bigger. Here are a few tricks to get good germination with these tiny seeds.  Place the seeds on top of your worked soil. Cover them with sand or fine soil using the above rule.  You can also place a few radish seeds in the row.  They will sprout first and help break up the soil which may get compacted from the watering you will be doing.  

In terms of timing, the basic rule is to plant the early season seeds when a)your soil can be worked and b) a fist full of sqeezed soil breaks apart easily.

There are a lot of adages floating around but my favorite one that actually works is "wait to plant corn until oak leaves are the size of squirrels ears". I think it is a Native American saying. It works because oaks leaf out later than most trees and that means warmer weather. I wait until then to plant all my squash and cukes too. Melons are the most sensitive to cool weather so go in very last. That is why black plastic mulching helps those.

Feel free to post comments and/or copy to repost! Happy Green Thumbing!!

On Onions

On onions:

There are 4 ways to get your onions in the ground; direct seed, start seeds indoors, onion sets and onion plants. With direct seed the temperature in the soil needs to be fairly warm, warmer than now.  Starting seeds indoors is easy and you get the best, consistent results. I use potting soil in Cool Whip containers. Poke a few holes in the bottom, place on a plate, water well and place it on top of your fridge for a constant temperature. I usually start them 5-8 weeks before I plant them outside (2-4  weeks before expected last frost).  My favorite variety to grow is called Ailsa Craig and produces monster onions that are fairly good keepers. They happen to be named after a Scottish isle. Next up are onion sets that are easy to purchase at your local garden center. Just poke them in the ground as deep as 2-3 times their diameter.  They will emerge in a couple weeks. You can use them young as green onions and the ones you leave after they are thinned you can let grow big.   However sometimes they go to seed. With purchasing bundled plants you have to be careful.  Make sure they are fresh!  A few times, and probably this time, I have  purchased them when  the roots have started to rot. Have any of you had this same experience?

 

 

When To Start a Garden- NOT All at Once!

With the changes wrought by the Covid19 virus many more people are thinking about starting or getting more serious about gardening. I want to do my part by dispelling some gardening misinformation and sharing my knowledge and experience. I have been gardening since I was, as my mother used to say, "knee high to a grasshopper". There is always more to learn in this most rewarding of hobbies! Many people here in the Spokane area of the Inland Northwest say that you shouldn't plant your garden until the snow is melted off Mount Spokane. So wrong on so many levels (unless you have low lying, poor draining soil). First of all there is a essentially 5 different times that are appropriate to plant different types of seeds or starts. The earliest planting time is several weeks before the last frost (May 1-15th here in Spokane) when the ground can first be worked. Things that sprout easily are spinach, radishes, beets and lastly potatoes (because they are planted so deeply). I did all this a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday I transplanted by broccoli starts with collars made of half of a yogurt container to block those pesky cut worms. In between I planted onion sets that I will harvest young as green onions. Broccoli (and all its relatives) make excellent companion planting with anything in the onion family. More on onions next post.

So get out there and let's get gardening!

New Perennial Veggie Bed

This bed is for Rhubard, Asparagus and Strawberries.

What Your Soil Looks Like When You Don't Turn It Often

So my raised beds are close to a Japanese Maple to the south and Ponderosa Pines and Grape vines to the north on my less-than-an-acre of land.  This is what happens when you don't turn your soil every or every other year. 

Last Carrot Harvest!

These were covered in 12" of pine needles all winter. They lasted better than ever due to the late cold and deep snow that we had.  Wonderful tasting still!

Photos from my Garden; Spring 2018

 This is my new raspberry bed...gotta get them away from the rest of the garden!

Garlic Planted; CHECK!

I might be a bit late this year but it hasn't been very cold yet (just two minor frosts; my tomato plants still weren't dead when I pulled them today but the beans and peppers were) so I think they will be fine. I planted 54 garlic bulbs; Kettle River Giants, plus 3 shallots and 3 Elephant garlic bulbs. I will cover them with 6-8 inches of pine needles when it gets colder.

Last Year's Amazing Onion Crop!!

! These are the first large onions I have ever been able to grown! They are a variety called Alisa Craig and are considered an heirloom. They are sweet and mild but aren't know as good keepers although mine lasted through the winter and into the spring in my garage. Named after Ailsa, a small round island off the coast of Scotland that is solid rock. Introduced in 1887 by David Murray, gardener for the Marquis of Ailsa

Apple Coddling Moth Management

I found the following information on the internet for natural management of the Coddling moth problem: Found in all apple-growing areas of the world, the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is considered to be one of the most destructive pests of apples. Adults are gray to brown moths with a 3/4 inch wingspan. They have a chocolate-colored patch at the tip of each forewing and coppery transverse markings. Codling moth larvae are pink or creamy white caterpillars with mottled brown heads that tunnel through apples directly to the core. As they feed, they push out mounds of fecal material, called frass, which gathers around the entrance hole. Damage lowers the market value of the fruit and makes it unfit for human consumption. Alternate host plants include pears, crabapples, walnuts and stone fruits. Note: The codling moth was introduced to North America by the colonists more than 200 years ago and is now one of the leading pests in home orchards. Life Cycle Full grown larvae pass through the winter in a cocoon beneath loose bark or in orchard litter. Pupation takes place in the spring. Moths begin emerging about the time that apple trees are in bloom and lay an average of 50 to 60 eggs on leaves, twigs and fruits. Once eggs hatch the larvae feed briefly on leaves, then damage fruit by boring into the centers. Larvae feed for three weeks, then leave to seek a suitable place to spin cocoons. There are two generations per year. Control Scrape loose bark in early spring to remove overwintering cocoons and then spray All Seasons® horticultural oil to eradicate eggs and first generation early instar stages. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic, worm-like parasites that actively hunt, penetrate and destroy immature stages of this pest. Spray on trunks and main branches, and also over the soil out to the drip line for a 60% to 90% mortality in pre-pupae. Use pheromone traps to determine the peak flight period for moths, then release trichogramma wasps to attack eggs. Pheromone traps will also help reduce male moths where populations are low and trees are isolated. Surround WP — a wettable kaolin clay — can be used to deter a broad range of fruit tree pests (and diseases), and will reduce codling moth damage by 50-60%. Apply before moths arrive and continue for 6-8 weekly applications, or until the infestation is over. In areas of severe infestation, spray plant-derived insecticides when 75% of petals have fallen, followed by three sprays at 1-2 week intervals. These natural pesticides have fewer harmful side effects than synthetic chemicals and break down more quickly in the environment. Note: Bt-kurstaki (Bt) and Spinosad sprays are moderately effective since the larvae spend so little time feeding outside the fruit. Apply during egg hatching only (consult with a local extension agent for exact times). I also saw on another site that you should pick up and dispose of apples that fall to the ground because sometimes the larvae are still in them. So.... I will no longer be putting them in my compost since I use the slow composting method and my piles don't get very 'hot'. I also read that you put up cardboard rings around your tree trunks to prevent them from crawling up the trunks to get at the apples.

Heirloom Corn Trial

Here is the corn I will trying growing this year now that I have a new and bigger bed. It is from Seed Savers Exchange and is called Navajo Bird Egg; http://www.nativeseeds.org/get-seeds/adapts?mode=view&accession_number=ZM02-008

Perfect Time to Make a New Batch of Compost

I use the slow method of composting where you have 3 separate piles of differing ages and just let them decompose over time. If it is really dry I will turn a pile but usually I just wait it out. I have 3 bins made out of free pallets since I am such a cheap-skate. After using up the oldest pile I started a new one with old leaves, green weeds (no seeds yet), goat manure, left over potting soil, some of the left-over old compost (3-4 shovels full) and spilled thistle seed (from our goldfinch feeders) as well as a healthy batch of kitchen scraps I had been stock piling. After about 3 layers I was done for today but can add 3 times that much over the next several weeks. I didn't water it because it is supposed to be rainy the next 6-7 days. Oh, I also placed two metal fence stakes in the center before I started so I can move them around providing oxygen later on. The leaves had already started to decompose and earthworms were plentiful!

Old and New Raised Beds

My old beds made out of 2 X 12 by 16 feet cedar planks are holding up very well. I had to do some deep turning this year due to some root invasion issues; the weed barrier cloth I had stapled on when building them is likely totally disappeared at this late date. The new bed is for an heirloom blue Navajo flour corn I got from a fellow member of Seed Savers Exchange. I will be growing some beans/peas in among the corn to provide nitrogen fixation as well.

Carrots from last growing season!

I dug up the rest of the carrots from last year (about 12 days ago) that I had covered with 8-10" of pine needles. With all the snow we had this winter (up to 26" deep at one point here in Spokane) they have lasted far better than in previous years. Most of them are still firm and good tasting! What a nice surprise!

Broccoli Collars

I tried these last year but I made two mistakes; many were too small in diameter and they were too tall. Since the goal is to provide a barrier to those pesky cutworms I made them shorter so the roots can mature without being restricted. They also have a vertical slice in them so they will be easy to remove once the danger is over and the plants are well established. Remember cutworms travel just below the surface and wont climb over the lip. They totally worked last year to prevent the plants from being chewed through. Try to go organic and natural as often as you can!!

Some Harvests 2016

Early Garden 2016

Apple Blossom Bodes Well

In 2014 I had a bumper crop of apples perhaps because one of my nearby neighbors put out some beehives on his property. In 2015 I had a very poor crop of apples making me wonder if he lost his bees or because of a late spell of cold weather after they had bloomed (?). This years amount of blossoms is HUGE! Let's hope for a ton of apples this fall!